Despite October, airport on record pace
Passenger traffic has already passed 1 million mark
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Even though Huntsville International Airport's passenger traffic slipped last month compared to October 2004, traffic is still up more than 9 percent so far this year.
The number of passengers for 2005 is expected to break last year's record of nearly 1.2 million. The count through October this year has already passed 1 million, according to airport figures.
In October, there were 106,468 passengers, down 6 percent from 113,434 during the same month last year. Previously, the airport had 29 consecutive months of passenger traffic increases, said Rick Tucker, the airport's executive director, at the Huntsville-Madison County Airport Authority's meeting Tuesday. Last October was a busy one for the airport because it was the first month that the low-fare carrier Independence Air offered service here.
Tucker also gave an update on the Transportation Security Administration's Registered Traveler program, which would allow fliers who submit to background checks and provide identification through fingerprints and iris scans - and pay an annual fee - to move more quickly through airport screening.
The TSA's goal, Tucker said, is to pre-screen as many frequent travelers as possible, letting those who pose little threat to move through screening quickly and allow more time for TSA employees to focus on others.
Standards for the expanded program, based on a test project in Orlando, are now being developed, Tucker said. Eventually the TSA wants to offer the program broadly, perhaps to any airport that wants to offer it, according to Tucker.
"We're eager to participate in the program," Tucker said, adding that he believes there would be a large number of travelers here interested in enrolling when the program is available.
© 2005 The Huntsville Times
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